Tired of Swimming Long Distances with Fins? Try These Challenging Swim Workouts...

Getting your lungs and legs in shape to handle a fast 2 mile ocean swim (and longer) takes time and it is absolutely required IF you want to get THROUGH the training. To get TO the training all you have to do is pass a 500yd swim without fins.  To get THROUGH the training a 2 mile ocean swim with big SCUBA fins (Rocket Fins or Jet Fins) will crush your ankles, leg muscles, and hips if you are not preparing yourself for these WEEKLY events. The information below are more entertaining ways to mix in 2000-4000yds of swimming with fins into your training - THOUGH you will need to be able to just grind out 60-75 minutes of non-stop swimming with fins eventually.

Related Training Challenge - Similarly, to get TO the training you only have to pass a 1.5 mile timed run, but at BUDS  you will have weekly 4 mile timed runs in boots, pants, and on the beach.  See program to help you with that specific event OR any of the SEAL programs will have both runs and swims arranged logically to help you get TO and THROUGH the training. 

Warmup the Mind and Body (first 500m)

Warmup with 500m without fins - This is important.  Every time you hit the pool to start a workout, you should be warming up with the test you have to take to get TO the training (typically a 500m or 500yd test).  This is important for your physical and mental conditioning because if you are get in the type of shape that 500m is "just a warmup" any future fitness test with a swim included will have that warmup component for you.  This is a big anxiety relief as you improve your swimming abilities. Once you have that nailed - consider treading with no hands for 10 minutes as a warmup or definitely a cool down event before you leave the pool. 

Swim with Fin 500m Sets

The following sets are in 500m blocks are ways to break up the monotony, work on conditioning for the lungs and legs, and the goal is to be able to do these as part of a 2000m swim workout:

CSS / Free with Turtlebacking or LATA
500m CSS or Free with fins mixed with turtlebacking:

Repeat 10 times
Swim 25m fast doing CSS or freestyle
Swim 25m turtlebacking (on back just flutterkicking) or LATA
*(no rest)

Over / Unders with fins
500m underwater or zero breath freestyle followed by easy 25 recovery

Repeat 10 times
Swim 25m underwater (dolphin / flutterkicks) or zero breath freestyle.
Swim 25m easy - any stroke to catch breath (CSS, LATA, turtlebacking)
(rest as needed before next 25m under - minimal if possible)
*DO NOT DO ALONE

75m Fast / 25m easy x 5 with fins

Repeat 5 times
Swim 75m fast free or CSS
Swim 25m turtleback or LATA

"COOLDOWN" Progression

After the above workout you will have accumulated 2000m of fin swimming - that  is a good start. Now build up your "cooldown" from 500m, 1000m, to 2000m over time. The ultimate goal is to accumulate 4000m (yds) with fins. The goal pace for these sets and total distances is still a yard or meter per second.

So 4000yds in 4000 seconds = 66-67 minutes.  The good news is you have 80 minutes before you fail in first phase, but you have to get it to 70 minutes by third phase. So get swimming - fast and straight. 

Two mile ocean swims are measured in nautical miles which equal 2000 yds - so get used to 4000yds of swimming - your ankles will thank you for it if you can get the pain out of the way long before BUDS. 

*LATA - Lead Arm Trail Arm is swimming with kicking only on your side with fins.  This is a Air Force Special Warfare swim stroke.